


... She Was There

by lasairfhiona



Series: Blessing in Disguise [3]
Category: West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-20
Updated: 2012-01-20
Packaged: 2017-10-29 20:54:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/324071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasairfhiona/pseuds/lasairfhiona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She didn't need an old warhorse like him to bring her down.</p><p>post "Bartlet for America"</p>
            </blockquote>





	... She Was There

Ainsley walked through the almost entirely deserted west wing toward Leo's office. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve and only a skeleton crew would be working, including her. She'd forgone going back to Raleigh to spend the holidays with her family like she'd always done in the past. She wanted to be in Washington when Leo went up in front of the committee to testify. Short of the President and the First Lady, his testimony as Chief of Staff, would hold the most ramifications for the Council's office. Although she knew she only was kidding herself about _why_ she wanted to be here. She wanted to be in the city in case _he_ needed her. It didn't matter that it had been all business and only business between them since the night two months ago they spent wrapped in each other's arms comforting the other. She still wanted to be here.

She'd thought a lot about him since that night. She knew even after all this time what she felt for him was not some misguided sense of gratefulness because he'd been there for her, or even a greater desire on her part to be the one who rescued him. The fact he was almost twice her age with thinning grey hair didn't matter to her. Nor did the fact he was short and he was no longer built like... well like Sam. The physical attributes didn't matter to her. What mattered was that underneath his sometimes-gruff exterior was a warm and loving man. She had a feeling only those precious few he let get close to him ever saw that side of him.

Walking past Donna's office, she saw Josh and his assistant were gone for the night. Passing into the Chief of Staff suite, she saw Margaret's desk was also dark. It didn't surprise her any to find it that way. She figured Leo's assistant would go home after the hearings were concluded instead of coming back to the White House. She, however, could see light coming through the crack in the door to Leo's office. She knew then her assumption he'd come back to the West Wing instead of going home was correct. Peeking in the door to make sure he was alone, she saw him sitting behind his desk, chair spun around so he could look out the window into the blackness beyond.

"Leo?" she called softly and when he didn't answer she crossed the room and knelt down next to his chair. Resting her hand on his arm, she again said, "Leo?"

He looked at her, his eyes bright with both shed and unshed tears, and attempted to smile. "Ainsley? What are you dong here?" he asked as if surprised she would still be in the West Wing at this time of night. "It's Christmas, didn't you get the memo?" he tried to joke.

Smiling at his weak attempt, she replied, "Yes, I got it. Apparently Congress did too..." she said trailing off. During the many recesses she'd walked though the various office areas to get the feel for what they thought of Leo's testimony. One particular trip told her there was more going on than met the eye. Josh was nervous and while he could get spun up about a great many things, the quiet nervousness he exhibited while watching the hearings had her worried.

"Yeah..." he replied looking away from her again.

"Do they have something on you?" she asked, concerned. "Something that could hurt you and/or the President?"

"Yeah," he again answered not giving her information and decidedly not looking at her.

"You had a relapse, didn't you?" she guessed. She knew the one thing that could still hurt Leo was a relapse. He'd survived admitting his addictions, but a relapse would take him out of the game completely. What was forgiven once, wouldn't be tolerated a second time. "And they know," she asked when she saw him close his eyes. She knew there were Senate and House Republicans who would stop at nothing to embarrass and even discredit Leo to get him out of the West Wing and even possibly Washington. He had a power from his longevity in politics that a few feared and more than a few a few enemies.

"Yeah," he admitted softly. Finally looking down at her, he brushed a stray strand of hair back from her face then turned away again. He didn't want to see the expression of disgust he knew she would have at his admission.

Giving his chair a shove, she spun it around until he faced her. She braced herself against it and him, so he couldn't turn away again. "Who knows?" she asked point blank. Her mind was already at work wondering who on the committee she knew and how could she control the information they had about him.

Leo finally looked down and for the first time that evening took a good look at the woman leaning her body against his legs. He didn't see the expected disgust. He only saw concern and determination. Once again she surprised him. He should have learned by now, he couldn't resist her. Something about her made him want to tell her everything and he found himself answering her question without hesitation. "Before today. Just Josh and the President," he paused a moment before mentioning and name of the man who wanted to bury him. "And Gibson."

"Oh Leo," she sighed. She knew Gibson's reputation. Running her hand up his legs until she could take his hands, she asked, "Did you tell Jordan?"

"Yeah. During the last recess,” he told her then added, "Undoubtedly Calley and Bruno know now as well since they met with Gibson."

"What are you going to do?" she asked wanting to know if he was already plotting a course of action. She didn't want to jeopardise anything he had in motion when she went to talk to Cliff.

"I don't know," he admitted. It was the truth, he didn't know what he was going to do. There was too much running through his head at the moment to even think about any kind of strategy at the moment.

"Need a friend?" she offered. If nothing else, she could hold him while he slept. He looked tired and there was something else in his expression she couldn't put a finger on.

Shaking one hand free from her grasp, he cupped her cheek. The minute he touched her, she automatically closed her eyes and leaned into his hand. It was almost his undoing. In the months since her unwitting intervention, he'd thought a lot about her. He could still see how she looked wearing nothing but one of his dress shirts as she crawled into his bed and took him in her arms. Nor had he forgotten the feel of her body curled around his or how soft and silky her leg felt as it twined with his. The most vivid memory that haunted him was how her body fit against his, almost as if she was made just for him. He'd wrestled with his desire for her and fought down the urge to invite her to dinner and finish that they started that night. She was young and beautiful. She didn't need an old warhorse like him to bring her down. "Not tonight," he finally answered, knowing if she were to end up in his arms tonight, he would give in and be unable to resist what he felt for her.

"Okay," she said, accepting his decision. Turning her head, she gently kissed his palm before standing in one fluid movement. She reached over to a wrapped box she'd placed on his desk when she came in. "Merry Christmas, Leo," she said, handing him the box.

"You didn't..." he started to tell her until her fingers on his lips stopped his words.

"I know, I wanted to."

He nodded, kissing the fingers that still lingered on his lips. He knew the minute she slid her hand along his cheek to the back of his neck what was coming and when she bent over and her lips touched his, his resolve wavered. It would be too easy to pull her into his lap and lose himself in her.

She was the one who pulled back. Her sad smile spoke volumes about what she really wanted. "You know where to find me," she told her then took a step backward and away from him. "If you need a friend to listen and hold you or if you want to finish what we started." With her head held high, she turned and walked out the door, leaving him to open his present and contemplate her words.

He watched her go and when the door closed behind her, he opened the gift she'd handed him. Lying in the tissue was a silk tie with varying shade of chartreuse green and speck of royal blue in geometric patterns and pair of matching suspenders. He couldn't help but smile at the suspenders -- they reminded him of the morning after and she snapped his on the way out the door. Stroking the soft silk, he looked over at the other gift sitting on his desk. Twice tonight people who meant a lot to him had given him unexpected gifts. Spinning his chair back around with both the gifts in hand, he watched the snowfall. He never noticed the silent observer standing in the shadows.


End file.
